Ali vs Predator
by Ali Wenstern
Summary: Sequel to "Ali's Return". Ali must join forces with a human to fight the Predators that have invaded her home. And, she finds herself falling in love with that very human.
1. Chapter 1

The giant creature loomed over Ali and TJ and let out another roar. Ali stood up slowly, not taking her eyes of the thing, and took a step back. The thing turned its head toward her and pulled out another device from its belt. The small device extended and turned into a spiked spear. Ali felt herself frozen in fear; something that has never happened to her in her whole life. Something about this creature startled her; it wasn't anything she had ever seen. Suddenly, a long flexible, spiked tail swung out in front of her. It caught her in the chest and sent her flying back. She crashed into the ground and sputtered as a large dust cloud rose up around her.

She started to get to her feet but tripped over the hem of her long dress. She looked down at the dress; it had been the one she had been given to wear after she had been cloned. She thought for a moment before making up her mind; reaching down she tore the bottom of the dress in half so that the dress was now just below her knees.

She looked back toward TJ and saw him and the creature slowly circling each other; keeping a certain distance from the other. TJ's tail was swinging back and forth in a sign of aggravation. Then TJ launched forward and tackled the creature. As the two rolled around in the dirt TJ let out loud shrieks while the other creature remained silent. Finally TJ was able to pin the thing underneath him and shot his second mouth through the creatures head. Bright green blood shot out and sprayed the ground underneath the creature as if fell back and went limp.

TJ stepped off the creature and started to walk slowly over to Ali; but before he reached her he screeched in pain and fell to the ground. Ali hurried over to him and helped him to his feet and wrappedher arm around his torso as he started to sag under his own weight, "Take it easy TJ; let's get you back to the Hive."

As they walked back Ali looked over her shoulder at the stationary spaceship and the body of the creature that TJ had slain. Something told her that this wasn't the end.

"Did you sense anyone else in that ship?" Ali asked as she looked down at TJ. He, like all other aliens, used sonar sensors to see what was around them; similar to bats and echolocation. TJ nodded his head and let out three soft hisses, "There are three more on board?" Ali asked and TJ nodded again.

Ali constantly looked back behind her as she and TJ made their way back to the Hive. She was fearful that the other three creatures would come back and notice their killed companion and come after them. But nothing came out of the spaceship and luckily Ali was able to get to the orphanage.

* * *

She helped TJ down the basement stairs and over to the bed. The other aliens hissed as they watched Ali and TJ. Once Ali was sure that TJ was comfortable on the bed she made her way to the Queen; weaving through the leathery eggs and restless aliens.

_What happened Mother?_ The Queen asked as Ali approached, _You were not gone that long, is TJ alright?_

"We were attacked," Ali said and before she could continue the Hive was filled with the sound of angry hissing of thirty aliens. The crest on the Queen's giant head shook as she swung her head back and forth. Ali knew that gesture well; most aliens shook their heads in that way when they were deeply upset about something. Ali waited until their hissing died down before telling how the ship had landed and the creature came out. She quickly summarized the fight TJ had with the monster and how there were at least three more on the ship.

During Ali's tale the Queen had remained silent. After Ali had finished the Queen said nothing, which worried Ali slightly, but then she said in a quiet voice, _I know of these monsters well. They have been preying on our kind for centuries._

"You mean the Queens and their Hives of the past?" Ali asked. Alien Queens have the ability to obtain all knowledge from past Queens—as well as their hosts—so that they can adapt to the best way to protect the life of their Hive.

_Yes,_ The Queen said, _This ancient enemy has hunted us since the beginning of time. I do not know much more about them but I do know that every time they find a Hive; the Hive is usually wiped out._

"Wiped out?" Ali repeated. What kind of creature was so strong that they could wipe out an entire race of aliens?

_Yes,_ The Queen said, _And since they have landed on our doorstep; I find a rare chance that we will survive._

"No!" Ali said, "I won't let that happen!" She had given up her life before and had allowed a facehugger to implant a Queen embryo inside of her. She wouldn't allow anything to touch her daughter—the Queen—now.

_Unless I can find a way to move our Hive; I do not think there is much of a chance,_ The Queen said.

"But what if you could move the Hive; maybe not all of it but some of it. That way, if this Hive gets destroyed the alien's aren't," Ali said.

_It is not that easy,_ The Queen said, _If I were to make another Queen while I am still alive; then there might be a war among the alien Hives._

"But what if you made a small colony without a Queen; would it still be able to function?" Ali asked. She was desperate to find a way to save her Hive.

_Well,_ The Queen said and seemed to be in deep thought, _There has been an occasion where a Queen from the past became an Imperial Queen. She had set up colonies run by lesser Queens that were under the Imperial Queen's control._

"Is it possible you could do that?" Ali asked.

_It is risky,_ The Queen said, _If the lesser Queens broke free from the Imperial Queen's control; there would be a war._

"But we won't know unless we take that risk," Ali said.

The Queen remained silent for a moment and then said, _If you wish it than it shall be done Mother. But to make sure the lesser Queens are to be under my control I will need female hosts.  
_

"What does it matter if the hosts are boys or girls?" Ali asked.

_We react better when we are born from a person who is the same gender,_ The Queen said, _Which is why, for the most part, you were asked to get male hosts; because the aliens would only be males._

"Oh," Ali said. Then she turned to TJ and said, "Want to go hunting with me?"

TJ was still lying on the bed and he hissed eagerly. He started to rise but then shrieked in pain and fell back down on the bed.

_I do not think it would be best if TJ accompany you,_ The Queen said, _You can either go by yourself or you can have another of my children accompany you._

Ali sighed and looked around the Hive and asked, "Who wants to go hunting with me?"

One of the aliens hissed excitedly and came forward. This one walked on two legs, unlike TJ; in fact, TJ was the only alien in the Hive who walked on four legs.

"Okay then, let's go," Ali said.


	2. Chapter 2

* * *

As Ali stepped out of the orphanage and started to make her way to the city, she looked over at the alien next to her; something seemed familiar about it. Ali looked harder and tried thinking back to the last Warrior alien she had come in contact with. She gasped when she realized; Jordan's chestburster. Ali made a mental note to talk to her daughter about the odds of this alien coming from Jordan.

Ali and Jordan's alien prowled the streets in search of a girl. "This is so annoying," Ali said after a while of walking, "I just wish I could get some freaky perv to come after me and call it a night."

Jordan's alien let out a hiss and shook its head. "Yeah, yeah, I know," Ali said as she rolled her eyes. Then she said in a more serious manner, "I guess we can start going door to door; I doubt a girl will be wandering the streets this late at night."

Jordan's alien nodded in response and followed Ali as she walked toward some apartment buildings. She stared up at the buildings for a moment and then turned to the alien, "Well? What do you see?"

Jordan's alien tilted its head and scanned the doors of the apartment building. Finally he hissed and leapt onto the third floor balcony and trotted over to the third door from the left. Ali jumped to the first floor and then to the second and finally the third to join the alien at the door. He hissed and swung his tail back in forth as he stared at the door.

"Is she alone?" Ali asked not wanting anyone to interfere.

Jordan's alien nodded again and Ali smiled. She raised her fist and rapped hard on the door three times. There was a moment of silence, but then the sound of movement could be heard on the other side of the door.

The door was flung open to reveal a girl wearing shorts and a white t-shirt, "It's about time you got your sorry ass home! Do you—" but she stopped when she stared down at Ali and realized it wasn't who she thought it was. She was speechless as her eyes moved from Ali's face to the alien standing behind Ali.

"You know, you really should be more careful who you open the door for; never know who is wandering out at this time of night," Ali said.

Before the girl could scream Ali grabbed her by the throat and slammed her head into the door frame. The girl's eyes closed as she slumped forward and a trickle of blood slid down her forehead; trickling down Ali's hand.

"Man," Ali said in a whining voice as she released the unconscious girl, "that was too easy." Jordan's alien stepped around her and picked up the girl's unconscious form, "Usually it's more fun getting my prey."

Jordan's alien hissed and Ali nodded, "Yeah, I suppose you're right; girls are easier than female stalkers."

Just then, the sound of high-heeled clicking reached Ali's ears. She leaned over the railing and looked down to the ground below. A young woman was walking down the sidewalk next to the apartment. She wore blue jeans and a white halter top. Ali grinned as she watched the woman walk by and whispered to herself, "Bad time to be walking around alone."

Ali jumped down to the ground and followed behind the woman for a while. She decided to play with the woman to make up for the first one being so easy to catch. Her eyes slowly moved down to her hand which had some of the first woman's blood glistening under the street light. Ali grinned and wiped some of the blood on her face. Then she plastered a horrified look on her face and ran towards the woman.

The woman was on her cell phone as Ali grabbed on to her arm and she turned with an agitated look on her face, but when she caught sight of the blood on Ali's face her look softened and she immediately clicked the phone closed.

"Help…me," Ali said slowly.

The woman crouched down in front of her with a gentle look on her face and asked, "What's wrong, sweetie, what happened to you?"

"That…man," Ali said and she burst into tears. The woman wrapped Ali into a hug; ignoring the fact that the blood was getting on her white top. She mumbled, "There, there," over and over as Ali's body shook with her crying. But what the woman didn't know was that Ali was shaking as she tried not to laugh at the woman's doom. Finally the woman pulled Ali's head off her shoulder and met her gaze, "I'm going to get you help," she said, "What's your name?"

"Ali," Ali sniffed.

"Okay Ali, my name is Marie," the woman said and she smiled. Ali gave a small smile back but then she saw something over Marie's shoulder and her eyes filled with terror. Marie's first thought was that the man who had hurt Ali was back, Marie turned around quickly to try and defend Ali. But there wasn't a man behind her, just a tall reptilian-like creature. The creature had an elongated smooth head with no visible eyes. It was dark blue with four dorsal spikes sticking out of its back. In the creature's arms was an unconscious woman. Marie put her hands out protectively in front of Ali and glared at the creature more with fear than anger. She looked over her shoulder to tell Ali to go and run and not look back, but she was shocked when she didn't see Ali behind her.

Marie turned back to look at the creature and saw Ali walking toward it with a strange look on her face. "Ali!" Marie screamed and Ali turned back to look at her, "Get out of here!"

Ali just smiled and shook her head, her long black hair whipping back and forth. The creature stepped up until it was right behind Ali and Marie started to close her eyes so she wouldn't see the horrible scene she thought was going to occur. But then, her eyes widened as she watched the creature hand the unconscious woman to Ali and turn to her. Before Marie could move the thing leapt at her and Marie felt her head hit the ground. Before she blacked out she heard the sound of someone laughing and felt her blood run cold; the girl was laughing.

"So, do you think these two will be enough?" Ali asked when she had finished laughing.

Jordan's alien hissed and nodded as it picked up Marie. Ali walked next to it, still carrying the first woman and led the way back to the orphanage. It was the first fun moment in her life since she had been brought back from the dead.


	3. Chapter 3

But once she got back to the orphanage, Ali's sense of fun evaporated as she started pacing impatiently back and forth in front of her daughter. She was really worried about the possibilities of the lesser Queens becoming strong enough to destroy her daughter. She was also surprised that the creatures in the spaceship hadn't made an appearance; she would have thought they would have attacked by now. TJ had recovered enough to be able to walk next to Ali while she paced and she was silently grateful for his presence.

"How much longer?" Ali asked after her fifth pass in front of the Queen.

_As long as it takes,_ The Queen said for the third time.

"You never really explained to me what you're about to do," Ali said as she began her pacing again.

_I do believe I did; but I will tell you again if it will calm your nerves,_ The Queen said, _I recall, from your memories, that you found out how a Queen can control what sex the facehugger is before it hatches from the egg. She, that is to say, I, will keep the eggs at a warm to create males. But if I wanted to create females, the egg casing needs to be made differently so that the temperature will stay cooler and result in the facehugger becoming a girl. It takes longer to make just one, and since I need to make two, it will take even longer. So please just be patient._

"I'm trying, but thoughts of things going wrong keep popping into my head and I'm really worried about those things sitting on our doorstep," Ali said.

_Would you rather competitive Hives or mass extinction?_ The Queen asked.

Ali gave her a withered look and asked, "What kind of question is that?"

_Just a question; interpret it as you will,_ The Queen said. At that moment the Queen's egg sac began shaking and the opening at the end grew wider as a white egg slipped out of the opening. Two aliens picked it up and carried it over to the wall where the first woman Ali had caught was. She was fully awake by now and was staring around the room in fear. She had started screaming when she had first awoken but her screams had died down as she began losing her voice. But she started screaming again as the egg was set in front of her.

"Be quite!" Ali screamed as she spun around to stare at the woman. The woman went quiet and stared at Ali in fear.

_Do not take your anger out on her,_ The Queen said, _She is about to become the host of my very first daughter. _

There was a sickening sucking sound as the egg blossomed open and revealed the facehugger inside. The facehugger's digits slowly stuck out over the edge of the egg as it crawled out of the egg. It swung its long, flexible tail back and forth. Before the girl could scream, the facehugger leapt at her with a screech. It landed in the middle of her face and its digits grabbed her head and held her tightly as its long tail wrapped around her neck. Ali watched as the girl shook her head as she tried to shake it off. But Ali knew it was too late; the facehugger had already inserted its long tubing down her throat. The woman went still as the facehugger pulsed over her face.

Ali returned to her pacing as the Queen began making the second egg.

_Something else on your mind?_ The Queen asked as Ali stopped to gaze around the Hive.

"Yeah," Ali said, "That Warrior alien that came with me on my hunting trip; is there a chance that it came out of Jordan?" Ali asked.

The Queen tilted her head and a Warrior alien stepped forward. Ali recognized it as the one that had come with her.

_Yes, this is the one that came from Jordan,_ The Queen said, _How did you know?_

"I don't really know," Ali replied, "He just reminded me of Jordan. But you already told me that only a Queens recieve memories from their hosts."

_That is true. But there is a chance that he inherited some of Jordan's actions or habits that reminded you of her. _The Queen said.

"Oh," Ali said.

Suddenly, TJ looked up at the ceiling and hissed. Ali paused and looked up too. She listened for a moment and then heard it; the sound of faint footsteps. Terror struck her; had the creatures finally come to attack? But then she realized that the footsteps were too soft; the creature she had seen come out of the ship was too large to make footsteps that quiet. There was only one other thing Ali knew of that could make that noise; humans.

"TJ," Ali said. TJ hissed happily and swung his tail back and forth in excitement. Ali went to an air duct and climbed in; TJ following behind. The sounds of the footsteps seemed to echo within the ducts and it was hard for Ali to hear which direction it was coming from. So she stopped and allowed TJ to pass. With his keen sense of sonar he was able to locate the humans with much ease. TJ tilted his head and turned back to Ali and hissed.

"But, it sounds like there's at least four men," Ali said with confusion. TJ shook his head again and hissed once. Ali shrugged and said, "Okay, whatever; just try and locate him then." As they walked Ali pondered the reason why a single human would wander into an alien Hive.


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

After a few more minutes TJ stopped and hissed to Ali. She moved next to TJ and looked through a grating and down into the hallway below. She saw the human sitting down and fixing his gun. TJ hissed behind her, eager to jump down and kill the human. But Ali raised a hand and TJ calmed down. She was curious as to why this human, who didn't seem to be any older than 18, was here all by himself.

"Stay here and wait for my signal," Ali said as she shifted into a sitting position. She raised her bare feet into the air and kicked the grating away. The boy's head shot up as the grating crashed to the ground and Ali jumped down in front of him. Ali smiled and waited for the boy to take in her appearance: from her dress, torn at the knee, to her long black hair that came down past her shoulders, and finally her black eyes.

Ali grinned and started to run to the boy.

"Ali, please wait," the boy said quickly and Ali froze in surprise. Before she could do anything else the boy flung the gun he had been holding away from him and tossed the two knives that had been sticking out of his pants pockets. Ali continued to stare at him, slightly in shock as he threw away his weapons and from confusion as to how he could know her name?

As if reading her thoughts, the boy said, "My father was the scientist in charge of your cloning."

"But he should be dead. My daughter's children killed him along with all the others in that building," Ali said.

"Yeah, but after he was killed I hacked into his computer and read his journal about the cloning and the Xenomorphs," the boy answered.

"So that's what the scientists call us?" Ali asked.

"Xenomorphs? Yeah," the boy said.

"And do you expect me to take pity on you and spare your life just because you know about me?" Ali asked.

"No," he said, "I want to help you."

"Help me with what?" Ali asked.

"I saw the spaceship outside the orphanage; I'm sure you know what those things are and what they've come for," the boy said.

Ali stared at the boy, regarding him with deep suspicion; if he knew about the thing that hunted aliens he might prove to be of some usefulness to her, "What's your name?"

"Mike," was his answer.

"Well Mike, if I am to trust you, you are going to need to be marked," and as Ali spoke, TJ jumped down from the grating and stood behind her, his eyeless face staring at Mike.

Mike gazed at TJ apprehensively before asking, "What do you mean marking?"

"The last human that came down into the Hive was mistaken for prey," Ali said and she went silent as her eyes became glazed as she drifted back into a memory. But she quickly shook her head and continued, "TJ will mark you with his scent so that the others won't make that mistake again."

"What's he going to do? Pee on me?" Mike asked nervously.

Ali laughed and said, "No, he's just going to leave some saliva on you; a little on each shoulder."

Mike stood still as TJ stepped toward him but Ali could smell his fear as the Runner Alien loomed over him. She watched Mike close his eyes as a long trail of drool slowly dribbled out of TJ's mouth and landed on his shoulder. Then TJ moved to do Mike's other shoulder in the same way as the drool solidified on contact.

TJ hissed in satisfaction before turning and jumping back through the air duct. Ali could hear the sound of TJ's claws digging into the metal of the duct as he made his way back to the Hive. Then Ali turned her attention back to Mike; studying him closely for the first time.

He had sandy blonde hair that came down to his eyebrows. His light blue eyes had been dulled by sadness but Ali could tell that they had once been bright. He stood only a few inches taller than herself and Ali noticed that he was tan and muscular. As Ali stared at him her heart let out a flutter. It was the same flutter she had felt when she first laid eyes on Timothy in her old house. She had remembered the feeling of joy as her hand touched the long, smooth head. But this flutter was somehow different.

Ignoring the feeling inside her for the time being, Ali turned her back to Mike and walked down the hallway. She heard the sound of thuds as Mike jogged to catch up with her. He slowed his pace when he finally reached her and asked, "So where did that thing go?"

Ali spun around, her hair snapping behind her back, and her eyes flashed angrily, "Don't you dare call him a 'thing'! He has a name; TJ!"

"Okay, okay, sorry; I didn't mean to offend you or TJ," Mike said quickly.

Ali calmed down and said, "That's alright. Not many people know how to react when they come across an alien. Anyway, TJ went ahead to warn the Queen that we were coming, so she wouldn't freak out when she saw me coming down with a human."

"Oh," Mike said. He was silent for only a moment longer before asking, "How old are you?"

"Didn't your father's journal tell you?" Ali answered with a grin at the suddenness of the question.

"No, my father didn't know. I was just curious, you don't have t—,"

"How old do you think I am?" Ali asked, interrupting Mike.

"I don't know. Twelve or thirteen?" Mike said.

Ali laughed and shook her head her black hair moving in waves down her back, "That's what most people assume; I look younger than I really am. I'm actually 16; my birthday was a few days ago."

"Really?" Mike asked and Ali was happy to see that he was surprised.


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

The walk was silent the rest of the way until Ali and Mike reached the basement door. Ali turned around to face Mike and pressed her back to the door, "There are some things we need to discuss before we enter the Hive. I want to know how much information you have about us."

"Us, meaning you and the Xenomorphs, right?" Mike asked.

"Yes," Ali said.

"Well," Mike said and he started talking really fast, "I know that an embryo is implanted in the chests of victims. And that the embryo then bursts out of the chest of the victim and becomes a full grown Xenomorph in a matter of hours."

"Very good," Ali said, "Clearly the Company knew more about us than I thought." Mike smiled and Ali continued, "Now, can you tell me what possibly caused _me_ to have alien DNA but _not_ be an alien?" Ali asked.

"What does this have to do with the Xenomorphs?" Mike asked.

Ali shrugged and said, "There was a human a while ago that assumed I was just a friend of the aliens. He didn't know the whole truth about me and it lead to his death."

"Um…well, you were injected with Xenomorph DNA, right?" Mike asked, "Like an experiment?"

Ali shook her head, a smile on her face, "I was born like this," Ali paused as she watched Mike's eyes widen, "I burst out of my mother's stomach similar to a chestburster."

"Really?" Mike asked.

"Yeah, the original Queen told me that the facehugger that attacked my mother placed an embryo in her chest and I somehow absorbed it," Ali said.

"Really?" Mike said and he seemed to be thinking about something, "I think you might be under informed."

"What do you mean?" Ali asked.

"Well, when I was reviewing all the old video cameras that had to deal with the Xenomorphs, I happened upon one with a pregnant woman; they removed the facehugger," Mike said.

"What?"Ali asked.

"I think they removed the facehugger that attacked your mother," Mike repeated.

Ali cocked her head to the side as she thought, and then she spoke, "I guess that makes sense; I always wondered how I was able to absorb the embryo if it was located in the chest. But the stomacheaters are located in the stomach, so I could have absorbed it then." She was no longer talking to Mike, but to herself.

"Excuse me, but what are stomacheaters?" Mike asked.

"My daughter told me that it was an improper chestburster that is implanted when a facehugger is removed by force; the embryo moves to the victims stomach and devours the person on the inside. It later dies since it can't exist outside a human. I think the name fits a stomacheater very well," Ali said. She then smiled and said brightly, "Well, I guess that's everything I can do to prepare you."

"Prepare me?" Mike asked but Ali had already opened the door and took the first step leading to the basement. Mike seemed to hesitate as the sounds of hissing could be heard. Ali turned back to him and said, "Come on, I promise you will not be harmed."

Mike took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before stepped forward and followed Ali down the stairs.


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

The Queen turned her giant head as Ali and Mike walked down the stairs; TJ was crouched next to her and hissed to the Queen. The aliens had gone completely silent and were staring at Mike as he walked past. Ali had a flashing memory of the same thing happening to her when the children in the orphanage were still alive; every child had gone silent and their eyes followed her whenever she walked by.

Ali continued walking until she reached the Queen. But before Ali could say anything, a loud scream broke the silence. Mike's head shot around to the sound of the scream. Ali was used to the sound of screams in the Hive and so she wasn't concerned, but she turned her head anyway when she saw Mike's horrified expression. The first woman that Ali had caught was thrashing around in her cocoon; a blood stain starting to appear on her shirt. She arched her back and screamed as something in her chest thrust forward.

_Ali! _A voice screamed in Ali's head, _Do not let her escape!_

Ali didn't even think as she jumped forward to the screaming woman. There was a high-pitched screech as Ali's fingers tightened around a struggling chestburster. The chestburster was slippery with blood and it didn't help any that it was twisting left and right in an attempt to get free.

_Hold on to her a little longer, Ali,_ The Queen said.

Ali held on tight and closed her eyes. Suddenly the chestburster became still and stared at the Queen.

_You can let me go now,_ said a soft whispering voice in Ali's head. Ali was so shocked that she dropped the chestburster, and took a step back. Instead of running away, the chestburster walked over to the Queen and sat down beneath the Queen's massive body. Ali studied the Lesser with some interest. It had the appearance of a normal chestburster except it had a small crest on top of her head; Ali knew that it would become larger as the Lesser Queen grew.

_It is alright, Ali, she is under my control now,_ The Queen spoke.

Ali walked over to her daughter and stared down at the pink chestburster. It let out a screech and its second mouth came out slowly.

A low moan reminded Ali of Mike and she turned around to see him staring at the body of the dead woman; blood was still flowing out of the gaping hole in her chest. Mike's face had turned slightly green and he looked like he was about to be sick.

"Mike," Ali said and he forced his eyes away from the dead woman and turned around to face Ali, "Will you be okay?" Mike took a deep breath and nodded his head slowly. Ali smiled and said, "Good. Now, can you tell my daughter what those things outside?"

Mike looked around, as though expecting to see a girl but then his eyes slowly moved to the alien Queen.

_He seems deeply disturbed,_ The Queen said with amusement in her voice.

"Disturbed by what? The fact that you are my daughter or the birth of that chesburster?" Ali asked with a laugh.

_I think both!_ The Queen said and Ali laughed again.

Mike looked back and forth between Ali and the Queen, his look of shock replaced with confusion, "What's going on?" Mike asked.

Ali turned to him, a smile still on her face, "Oh, sorry Mike; I haven't had to translate what the Queen said to a human in a long time. Not since…" Ali trailed off, her eyes glazing over as she thought back to a moment in her past.

"Eh, that's okay," Mike said, trying to shrug it off. Ali snapped out of her trance and turned toward him as he asked, "So how much do you know about the Predators already?"

"The what?" Ali asked.

"That's what we call the things that are hunting you," Mike answered.

"Oh, I guess that fits," Ali said then cleared her throat, "The Predators have been hunting the Xenomorphs since the beginning of time. They usually wipe out the Hive that they come across so they are very strong."

"They actually don't hunt just the Xenomorphs; Predators hunt anything they can, including humans," Mike said.

"Oh, so they're your enemy as well?" Ali asked.

"Yes, but that isn't the reason I want to help you," Mike said, "During my research I became fascinated by the Xenomorphs and I don't want to see them wiped out."

_He seems to have a soft spot_, The Queen said to Ali, _But what else can he tell us about these creatures?_

"My daughter wants to know what else you can tell us about the Predators," Ali said.

Mike shuddered when Ali mentioned 'daughter' but said, "They are very advanced hunters; they carry weapons that are not even known to man.They are honorary hunters; they don't fight the sickly or incapable. In one occasion, there is a record of a Predator removing all of its armor so it could fight a human on even terms. Oh, and they wear special helmets that can sense the heat signatures of living things. "

"So that means there is a good chance that they won't even fight me? Because they won't be able see me?" Ali asked.

"What do you mean? Why won't they be able to see you?" Mike asked.

"Well, I don't give off a heat signature," Ali replied, "None of the aliens do."

"Oh, really?" Mike said, completely baffled.

Suddenly, another scream pierced the Hive, Ali turned around with a look of confusion, forgetting for a moment that there still was another woman; Marie.

Ali leapt forward toward the thrashing woman as blood shot out of her chest. Marie thrust forward in the same way the first woman had as a small lump appeared in her chest. As the face of an eyeless chestburster pushed its way through Marie's chest, Ali grabbed the baby and pulled it free. But this time, the chestburster sunk its teeth into Ali's hand. Ali was so shocked that she dropped the chestburster and it took off with a screech.


	7. Chapter 7

* * *

_ALI!_ The word was so strong in Ali's head that she fell to her knees in pain as the chestburster made a dash for the air ducts. Ali raised her eyes and caught sight of the escaping chestburster as it started to pass by Mike, who let out a moan as the chestburster reached him.

"Mike, grab her!" Ali screamed. Mike seemed to regain his senses and he dropped down to his hands and knees just as the chestburster started to pass him. Mike's fingers closed around the chestburster's waist and Ali could see his grip tighten. The chestburster let out a loud screech as it tried to bite Mike. But Mike had grabbed it in a way that prevented the non-flexible creature from reaching him. Eventually, the chestburster calmed down as the Queen forced her mind into it. Mike dropped it and the chestburster crawled over to the Queen and crouched down next to the first one.

"Thanks, Mike," Ali said and again she got that fluttering feeling in her chest again. TJ, who had been standing silently next to the Queen, gave out a hiss and Ali turned to him. He seemed to know how she was feeling; like a caring older brother.

_Now that I have the Lesser Queens under my control, we can begin the process,_ The Queen said.

"What process?" Ali asked.

_The first stage was already completed, getting my mind into the Lesser's. Once I have done that, they can begin their first molting. Normal aliens only molt once before becoming full adults, but Queens molt twice. By preventing the second molting, I prevent them from breaking connection with me,_ The Queen said.

"How soon will they molt?" Ali asked ignoring Mike's confused looks.

_Well, first they need to get their first meal. They can feast on their hosts bodies,_ The Queen replied.

"And how soon after that will they molt?" Ali asked.

_I would estimate around 10 minutes,_ The Queen said as the chestbursters made their way back to the appropriate host that they came from.

"That doesn't take long at all," Ali said as she looked over at Mike-who opened his mouth- but Ali spoke quickly, "They are going to eat their former hosts so they can molt and then my daughter is going to prevent them from molting a second time and become full grown." Mike closed his mouth and stared at the feasting chestbursters in gross fascination.

The chestbursters ate the two women greedily, letting out occasional screeches. Finally, when they were done they walked back to the Queen and stared up at her.

"And now we wait," Ali said. She sat down on the hard ground and gestured for Mike to sit next to her. Mike walked slowly, keeping an eye on the pink chestbursters. TJ came up and lay down next to Ali. He placed his head in her lap and swished his tail back and forth gently. Ali stroked the top of TJ's head gently; her eyes reflecting deep sorrow.

"Is something wrong?" Mike asked.

Ali looked up at him and smiled, "No, everything is fine. I was just thinking about my life here before Timothy came."

"Who's Timothy?" Mike asked, "Was he a Xenomorph?"

"Yeah," Ali said, "He was what we call a Runner; like TJ. He found me when I was still living with my father and he came to me later when I was living here."

"You used to live here?" Mike asked.

"Well, not here exactly, I lived in a dormitory with the other girls of the orphanage, except they didn't like me. None of the kids liked me; they didn't know what I was but they knew I wasn't normal."

"How did you come to live in an orphanage, what happened to your parents?"

"My mother died during my birth since I forced myself out like a chestburster would. I killed my father when I as six because he hated me and blamed me for my mother's death; even though it partially was my fault she died," Ali said. She was silent for a moment but spoke, "So tell me more about yourself. Do you have any other family?"

"I have a mom, but she never liked me or my father. She thought my dad's work was a waste of time and that he cared more about his experiments then he cared about her, so she left," Mike said.

"I'm sorry," Ali said.

"That's okay, she was a really big bitch," Mike said.

"What's that?" Ali asked.

"You don't know what a bitch is?" Mike asked, slightly shocked.

"Is it a bad word?" Ali asked

"Yeah," Mike said. He was surprised the girl didn't know that word but then he reminded himself that she had lived in an orphanage until she was 'rescued' by the aliens; she hadn't been around people long enough to pick up on a word like that.

She looked up at the ceiling, worry replacing the sorrow in her eyes, and sighed, "When are the Predators coming? They arrived here a while ago, why haven't they attacked yet?"

"They probably don't know exactly where the Hive is. They found the body of their comrade but haven't seemed to guess where the Hive is located. They were heading for the mountains when I came here," Mike said.

"Oh," Ali said. Before Ali could say anything else, the twin chestbursters let out twin screeches. In the few minutes that they had eaten, they had already swelled to the size of a full grown alien. Their skin was pinched and tight over their bodies and they were in extreme discomfort. Their skin was still pink but a slightly darker color could be seen underneath their skin. They both started to writhe on the ground; jerking and twisting. Ali had only seen five molts in her whole life at the Hive. But, for Mike, it was the first time. TJ's head shot up and he stared at the thrashing Lessers, head cocked to the side.

The chestburster's skin was beginning to peel and tear apart as the Lessers began their first molting. Finally, the Lessers pulled free of their old exoskeleton and struggled to their feet. They stood taller than a normal alien but weren't as large as a Queen; in fact, they were about half the size of the Queen behind them. They had a small crest on their head and they had an extra pair of arms tucked close to their body.

"Is that it?" Mike asked, staring at the Lessers. The Lessers screeched again, this time a lot more deeper, and crouched down.

* * *


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

"_They may get a little larger as they come close to their second molt-which will not take place until after their third meal-but once I prevent them from molting, they will stop growing,_ The Queen said, _Now all that is left is to decide where they should go to start their Hive._

"Well, the mountain area would make an ideal place for the aliens to take refuge," Ali said, "But we will have to wait until the Predators leave. And then another should be completely in another state; the one next to this one."

"That would be North Dakota," Mike said. He paused for a moment and then said, "What are we talking about?"

Ali giggled and said, "We're trying to figure out where a good place for the Lessers to live."

"Oh," Mike said, "Yeah the mountains sound good. But I think the only way to get the Predators out of the mountains is to lure them here; they know that there are Xenomorphs here and they aren't leaving until they have found and hunted them."

"Yeah, you might be right," Ali said.

One of the Lessers cocked her head to the side and looked toward the Queen. The Queen nodded her head and turned to Ali, _She asked permission to speak to you about the issue of the Hive location._

"You don't need to ask permission to speak to me," Ali said.

_I just was not sure if it was allowed,_ The Lesser said, _I just wanted to put my input on the issue of the location of my Hive; my former host used to take trips into the mountains with her boyfriend so I know the area well through her._

"Okay, you can have that area when the Predators are gone," Ali said. She turned to the second Lesser and said, "You probably came from Marie since she didn't seem the type to go camping in the mountains. Would you mind living on the border of North Dakota?"

The Lesser nodded and said, _I do not think that the mountains would be for me. I am fine taking refuge in the other state._

"Then its decided," Ali said. Both Lessers nodded. They walked closer to the Queen and crouched down in front of her. TJ was watching them silently. Ali had been with TJ long enough to know when he was feeling discomfort about something; but it wasn't the Lessers, it was the Predators.

_So, now that the issue of Hives is settled, let's move on to more pressing matters. I think the only option to get rid of the Predators is to lure them to the Hive,_ The Queen said.

"If we can lure them here, it would be to our advantage since we know the layout of the orphanage better than the Predators do," Ali said.

"Yeah," Mike said.

_Do you think that would work?_ The Queen said, _You have to be ready to face the risk that some aliens will die in this encounter._

Ali shook her head and said, "That's why I don't want that many involved in this; just me and TJ."

"I think I should be the one to lure them here," Mike said.

"Why you?" Ali asked.

"Well, since the Predators use infra red to see they would be able to see me and then they would come and investigate. You and the Xenomorphs could launch a sneak attack."

"I don't want you taking that risk?" Ali asked. Mike hadn't been in the Hive long and he was already suggesting that he risk his life for it. Ali was impressed and once again, she felt her heart flutter.

But Mike was persistent so Ali said, "TJ and I will accompany you; you won't be able to take those Predators on by yourself."

Mike grinned and said, "Fine."

Ali turned back to the Queen; not wanting to leave until she was sure that everything was alright in regards to the Lessers.

_You can go now,_ The Queen said; reading Ali's thoughts, _There is nothing more you need to do here._

"Okay," Ali said, standing up, "Come on Mike. Let's let the hunters become the hunted."

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

* * *

Mike and Ali walked side by side as they made their way back to the entrance of the orphanage with TJ trotting behind them. Ali had wanted to take the short cut through the air ducts to get to the entrance quickly. But Mike wasn't used to the narrow spaces of the air ducts and couldn't maneuver too well in them. So they were forced to take the long way through the halls.

Mike was looking forward as they walked, but suddenly, Ali shoved him hard to the left. He stumbled and fell on his side.

"What was that for?" he asked angrily, rubbing his shoulder.

Ali smiled and pointed to a space in front of her, a large hole loomed out in the darkness, "Didn't want you to fall in."

"Oh," Mike said, getting to his feet, "Thanks."

Mike stared down at the hole and noticed the charred edges around it. Before he could ask, Ali said, "There was a military attack on the area when the location of the Hive was discovered. This is where an alien was killed; its blood burned a hole in the ground."

Mike forced his eyes away from the hole as he looked down the hall and saw the giant double doors rising half-way to the ceiling. The middle section of the door was made up of a stained glass picture of three nuns surrounded by smiling children. The windows were grimy with dirt and lack of care so there was very little sunlight streaming in. Mike seemed to hesitate but Ali stepped forward and grasped the handle of the door. She pushed hard and the door opened, screeching on its rusty hinges.

Sunlight streamed in, burning Ali's and Mike's eyes and causing them to squint; both had gotten used to the dark, dim lighting of the Hive. But TJ wasn't fazed and he stepped out into the sunlight, looking left and right. Suddenly, he hissed and dropped down to the ground. Ali opened her eyes slowly and looked out. She could see the Predator ship and three figures moving beneath it.

"TJ, would you like the honors?" Ali asked, not taking her eyes of the moving figures.

TJ nodded and let out a loud screech. The sounds seemed to carry and echo back to them. Ali watched as the three figures froze and turned around. Suddenly, all three Predators vanished.Ali froze and started out at the ship, wondering how three Predators could just vanish.

"Oh yeah," Mike said, staring out as well, "I forgot to mention that; they have a cloaking device that basically makes them chameleon-like."

"That won't be a problem," Ali said and she turned to TJ. TJ nodded and gazed out toward the ship. He suddenly hissed and crouched down.

"What does that mean?" Mike asked.

"It means the Predators are on their way here," Ali said, "Come on," and she grabbed the door handle and pulled the door closed, "Let's get some distance between us and those Predators."

"We need to stick together," Mike said, "They hunt alone and they would have a harder chance of wiping us out if it's three of us against one of them."

Ali turned back to him and said, "There is no guarantee that they will split up; they may decide to stick together."

"From research done on the Predators, we have evidence that shows that they split up and hunt on their own," Mike said, "These are what we would call teenagers. They come to earth to hunt something worthy enough to mark them into adulthood. I guess they came to this specific area because they got signs of Xenomorph life. If that is the case then they will split up and attempted to take on a Xenomorph by themselves to prove themselves capable of being adults."

"Oh, okay then. Let's find a place to hide and see where they go," Ali said. TJ hissed eagerly and swung his tail back and forth.

* * *


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

A loud boom shook the walls of the orphanage. Ali peeked through the grating of the air duct and saw the double doors shake. Suddenly, the doors exploded, sending wood and glass everywhere. The three Predators stepped inside, surveying the area. Ali stared at all three of them and noticed similarities about them. They seemed to be wearing the same type of armor, but the face masks of the three were different. Finally, the two on the sides turned and made their way down the side halls while the middle stayed in the center.

"You were right," Ali whispered to Mike who just nodded. He was shivering slightly and attempted to warm himself up by rubbing his arms with his hands. Ali placed a hand on his shoulder and shook her head. She had turned the air conditioning on for a reason; she had to keep Mike's body temperature down so he wouldn't be detected by the heat sensors on the Predator's helmet.

Suddenly, the Predator in the hallway turned toward the room where Ali, Mike and TJ were hiding. There was a flash from a point above the Predator's shoulder and a ball of energy launched itself toward the air ducts where Ali and Mike were. Ali shoved Mike to the left of the grating and jumped next to him as the ball of energy hit the grating. The air duct collapsed and Mike and Ali fell to the ground, buried under a pile of rubble.

"What just happened?" Mike asked.

"I don't know; I kept your body temperature down so it wouldn't see you; you're sure that they see through infra red?" Ali asked as she tried peeking out through the rubble.

"Yeah," Mike said as he tried shoving a piece of metal off of him.

The Predator had shortened the distance between the entrance to the orphanage and the room Mike and Ali were in. Suddenly, it turned to the side and fired the same ball of energy. Ali could see that the Predator had a canon-like device strapped to its shoulder that was causing the blasts. There was a screech as TJ ran out of his hiding place to dodge the ball of energy.

"How can he see us?" Ali asked.

"Maybe they have a setting that allows them to see Xenomorphs," Mike said from beneath the rubble.

"What?" Ali asked.

"Well, the Xenomorphs are the Predator's ultimate prey; if the Xenomorphs don't have a heat reading then the Predators must have a setting that allows them to locate a Xenomorph," Mike said and he tried again to shove the rubble off of him.

Ali didn't respond as she tried shoving a large chunk of metal off of her. Suddenly, she heard a loud roar. It was the same sound the first Predator had made when it attacked Ali and TJ at the ship. Ali shoved hard and the metal flew off of her and she jumped up. The Predator was standing alone, moving its head slightly; scanning the area around it. It turned toward Ali as she stood up from the pile of rubble; TJ was nowhere to be seen.

The Predator took one step toward Ali when, suddenly, a large spiked tail appeared through the Predator's chest, covered in bright green blood. The Predator roared in pain as it was lifted off the ground. Ali looked up and saw TJ suspended above the Predator; his claws digging tightly into the ceiling. He jumped down and turned the Predator toward him. TJ hissed and flicked his tail sending the Predator flying.

The Predator crashed into the wall and fell down to the ground, motionless. Ali slowly approached the lifeless form of the Predator and grabbed the mask that covered its face. She pulled hard but the mask wouldn't budge. She saw cables attached to the side and Ali pulled those off and they let out a hiss. Ali took a deep breath and pulled the mask off. Ali dropped the mask when the face of the Predator came into view. It had skin like a lizard with four mandibles around its mouth. Its eyes were sunken in on its face and were staring up as Ali leaned over to get a better look. The Predator suddenly jerked its arm up and, with a small click, two blades extended out a device on its arm.

It swung the blades at Ali's face and she leaned back to dodge the blades. But, even as she leaned back, she felt a sharpness strike her in the throat; coming close to opening up the wound that Trae had given her. TJ hissed angrily and jumped on top of the Predator. In a flash, the Predator's head fell back on the ground as TJ's second mouth shot through its head; splattering the ground with bright green blood.

"Come on," Ali said. She rubbed her hand over her neck and was relieved to see that the blades hadn't dug in too deep. She turned back to Mike as he managed to climb out of the rubble, "There is a good chance those Predators heard their companion; we need to get out of here before they come and find it dead."

"Easy for you to say," Mike said, grunting, "When you fall out of a grating, it's no problem, but when an average human like me falls out of one; it's a little painful."

Ali turned to him, "There is no time to whine; we need to move now!"

TJ hissed and turned toward the door. Ali froze and listened intently. There was a low booming sound making its way toward them. Ali recognized it as the sound of running; but it sounded like only one was coming. Ali reached down and pulled Mike to his feet.

* * *


	11. Chapter 11

* * *

Ali looked left and right as she ran out into the hallway; there was no sign of anyone. She turned back and nodded; TJ stepped out and led the way down the hallway. Ali followed him, half dragging Mike.

They didn't go much further when the second Predator stepped out of a hallway in front of them; blocking their escape. TJ hissed and leapt at the Predator; the two fell back with a screech and Ali pulled Mike past the two creatures and pulled him down the hall. A screech split the air and Ali turned back; expecting to see TJ hurt, but instead she saw a two Warrior aliens coming out of an air duct. Ali knew instantly that one of them was Jordan's alien.

The two aliens leapt forward, past Mike and Ali, toward the Predator. They crashed into the Predator and five of them fell back; rolling away down the hall.

Ali dragged Mike as far away from the fight as she could. But when they turned a corner to go down another hallway Mike groaned and sank to the ground, "I need to rest; just for a little bit."

"Fine," Ali said and she crouched down next to him and leaned him up against the wall. As soon as Mike leaned back he groaned and grabbed his stomach. Ali crouched down in front of him and tried to unbutton his shirt. But he grabbed her hand and he mumbled, "I'm fine."

Ali glared at him and pulled her hand free, "I just want to see how bad the bruising is." Mike sighed and leaned back as she continued unbuttoning his shirt until his chest was exposed. Ali gasped as she looked down at Mike's chest; the entirety of his chest was purple and blue and there were some green patches beginning to form. Ali reached out a hand and gently prodded the swollen skin of Mike's chest. Mike gave out a yell and pushed her hand away.

Ali leaned back and said, "Just as I thought, you're bruised up pretty bad; we need to get you back to the Hive. Button up your shirt and we'll get moving." As Mike began buttoning up his shirt Ali looked down the hall; she thought she had seen something moving, but there was nothing there. 

Suddenly, she felt Mike grab her hand again. She turned to face him and was shocked to see the serious look in his eyes.

"It's worse than that isn't it?" Mike asked. When Ali didn't respond Mike shouted, "Just tell me what's wrong with me!"

"You broke three ribs," Ali said, "You won't be able to fight if we get attacked."

Mike sighed, leaning back. "Fine, then I have to tell you something before we start moving again."

"Can't it wait?" Ali asked.

Mike shook his head and said, "I want you to know in case you have to leave me behind."

"What are you—"

"I think I'm falling in love with you," Mike said, cutting Ali off.

Ali was silent for a moment, her mouth gaping open in shock. Then she shouted, "You're crazy! No one can fall in love with me!"

"Well, too bad I already did!" Mike said back. He reached forward before Ali could say anything else and grabbed the back of her head; pulling her toward him, his lips meeting hers.

Ali pulled away from Mike in shock and crawled backwards away from him; shaking her head, "I don't even know how to love," she said.

"Are you telling me there's _no one _in your life you felt even remotely close to?" Mike asked, still leaning against the wall.

Ali opened her mouth to respond but closed it as a memory forced its way out:

_She was sitting on her bed in her room, staring at the headless bear in front of her, "Why does Daddy hate me?" she asked. A low growl came back as an answer. Her head shot up as she tried to _

_locate the noise. Something moved in the darkest corner of her room. "Hello?" she asked, "Is anyone there?"_

_Slowly, a giant figure stepped out; moving on four long legs. She noticed that it had no eyes, but it somehow was able to see her as it walked up to her. She sat frozen in fear as the creature came closer and closer until it was inches from her face. It let out a low, hissing growl as it rubbed its face against her; seeming to smell her. It took a step back and sat down on the ground and rested its front legs on the edge of the bed and swung its long, barbed tail slowly. She raised a hand and slowly reached forward to the creature. When her hand was right over its smooth head, the creature moved its head up to meet her hand. She felt herself smile and she gave out a giggle. The creature hissed._

"I wouldn't call it love, but there was one that I was close to," Ali trailed off. But before Ali or Mike could say anything, there was a bang and Ali saw something out of the corner of her eye; flying toward them. She felt Mike shove her to the side and she watched as the object hit Mike and sent him flying back. Ali turned in the direction the object had come from but there was nothing there. A scream sounded behind her and Ali turned around to see Mike thrashing around in a net that was slowly constricting.

Ali rushed to him and grabbed the net, but it was made out of something that was too strong to break. She looked around her for a weapon or something sharp that she could use to cut the net; but there was nothing around her. She looked back to Mike and saw that the net had started to cut into his skin. Suddenly, she remembered her neck and she reached up and rubbed her throat. The wound had healed but there was still fresh blood around the wound.

Ali quickly wiped the remaining blood on her hand and tried to find a spot where she wouldn't hurt Mike with her blood. But he let out another yell as the net tightened even more. Ali didn't have any choice and she ran her hands across the top net. It sizzled and started to burn away.

"Be careful Mike," Ali said, pulling the net open and helping Mike out. But as she did, something else started sizzling and Mike cried out in pain. Ali looked down and saw a drop of her blood had landed on Mike's boot. She grabbed the boot and pulled it off quickly and surveyed the damage; luckily, the blood didn't have a chance to do much damage and had only burned the first layer of skin.

The sound of footsteps caused Ali to spin around suddenly but she relaxed when she saw it was only TJ.

TJ was limping slightly and had a long gash across his face; but other than that, he was fine. He walked up to them and let out a long hiss. Ali nodded and turned back to Mike as TJ got down on the ground.

Mike studied the two of them for a minute and then shook his head, "I'm not leaving you here to fight that thing."

"You don't have a choice," Ali said and TJ hissed, "Look at you; you're bruised and bleeding. You need to go back with TJ so you won't get into any more trouble."

"But I don't want you to fight that thing all on your own!"

"I won't. TJ said that the other two aliens that joined him to fight one of the Predators are on their way here," Ali said.

Mike sighed and said, "Fine; but I don't like it."

Ali smiled and helped Mike get on to TJ's back. When he was situated, TJ stood up and took off running. He didn't get far when, suddenly, he was hit in the side by something and flew back into the wall. Mike went flying and landed a short distance away and let out a moan. TJ hissed and tried to get up but fell back down.

Before Ali could run and help them, a Predator uncloaked itself and stepped forward. He seemed to be surveying the scene and then stated to go for TJ. But then it paused and turned to Mike. He cocked his head to the side and then began moving toward Mike. He reached for a short spear, about a meter long, on his back. The spear clicked and extended to twice its original size.

Ali watched in shock as the Predator raised the spear high and brought it down toward Mike. The world seemed to slow around her and Ali felt her feet propelling herself forward. She wasn't even thinking as she ran but, next thing she knew, she was watching in shock as one end of the spear buried itself into her stomach.


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

The pain was unlike anything she had ever felt before. Ali held the spear tightly, close to her wound. The Predator stood above her, completely motionless as it watched her. Ali raised a hand and saw that it was glistening with her black blood. She flicked her hand and the Predator took a step back as her blood landed on its chest armor. Ali looked down at the long spear in her stomach and wondered why her blood hadn't burned through it. But then she clasped it in both hands and pulled hard. She screamed as she pulled the spear out of her chest; it was covered in her blood. She could feel her strength failing and the spear fell from her grasp.

She looked up and saw the Predator had already removed its chest armor and was looking at her through its mask. Ali fell to her knees and clutched her stomach tightly. The Predator let out a roar and started walking toward Ali.

"No!" a voice shouted and Ali turned to the sound. Mike was standing, clutching his shoulder. The Predator turned to look at him also. Mike ran forward and stood between Ali and the Predator, "Don't you dare come near her!"

The Predator stopped and tilted his head to the side, studying them. Then it took another step; as though daring Mike to do something. Mike ran at the creature but the Predator easily dodged and him and knocked Mike back. Mike landed in front of Ali and bumped up against the spear. As the Predator started to move toward him again, Mike grabbed the spear and raised it up in front of him.

Mike rammed the spear into the Predator's exposed chest. It let out a loud shriek as it fell back and its chest began smoking and sizzling.

Ali watched the whole scene and felt sorry for the Predator as it lay dying. She slowly got to her feet and walked up next to it as it lay on the ground. But with its last remaining strength, the Predator reached for a device on his arm. He typed on it and red symbols appeared on it.

"Ali!" Mike said and Ali looked over her shoulder at him. He was still lying on the ground and was clutching his stomach, "You have to destroy that, it's a self-destruct system."

Ali turned back frantically and saw that half of the red symbols had vanished and the remaining ones were counting down as the device beeped shrilly. Ali leaned over and allowed her blood to drip down on the device. It started to sizzle, but was still counting down. Ali lifted her foot up and brought it down on the device. It smashed under her feet, sending sharp shards into her foot, and the beeping stopped.

Ali stepped away from the Predator quickly but gasped and sank to her knees as the pain shot through her. She pressed her fingers to her stomach but her blood still leaked out, soaking the floor in front of her.

"Ali!" Mike shouted and he started to move toward her.

"Stay away from me!" Ali shouted, glaring at Mike. Mike froze and stared at her with shock. Ali's eyes softened and she said, "I don't want you getting hurt by my blood again." TJ started to walk towards her but Ali couldn't hold on any longer and she fell forward, the world going dark around her.

* * *

When Ali awoke, she was in the bed in the Hive. Mike was sitting on the end of the bed at Ali's feet; his chin touching his chest. TJ was curled up next to her; sleeping.

"Mike?" Ali called out and Mike jerked his head up and hurried to the front of the bed. TJ hissed and raised his head as Ali asked, "Do you think that I could know what love is?"

"Of course," Mike said slowly and smiled.

Ali smiled back weakly and asked, "Then, will you help me?"

"Yeah," Mike said.

"Good," Ali said and her head fell back on the pillows as she fell back into darkness again.


	13. The End

* * *

_10 years later_

Ali stepped out into the dark, outside world; holding her two-year-old son's hand tightly. David had the delicate blonde hair of his father with light blue eyes. He wore a light blue shirt and white pants. He held, clutched tightly in his hand, the headless bear that had once belonged to Ali. Ali's husband, Mike, stepped out next and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. There were triangle-like scars on his forehead and hands; that story was a popular bedtime story. The sound of laughter split the quietness of the open air as two six-year-old twins ran around their mother. Timothy, the older twin had long, black hair that covered his eyes and touched the collar of his short-sleeved black shirt. He wore simple black pants and a dark blue headband that matched his eyes. His twin, Heather, was similar in appearance with longer hair; she wore a black dress that came down to her knee. Last to exit the orphanage was the Runner Alien, TJ; the gash on his head was still noticeable but was slowly becoming a thinner and thinner scar. He hissed happily and ran after the children, tapping them gently with his head so they would lose their footing and fall into the soft ground. Ali smiled and called out in a motherly voice, "TJ, not too rough."

TJ hissed, pretending to be upset. But then Heather jumped on to his back and he let out another hiss, this time a joyful one. Ali watched as her two children played with her old friend.

Even though all of her kids had the ability to communicate with the Queen by means of telepathy; David was the only one without alien speed and acidic blood. He was too young to know about it yet but Ali dreaded the day when he would know. She didn't want her son to feel left out. Also, each of her children would inherit an alien Hive when they got older. Timothy, being the oldest would get the Imperial Hive at the orphanage, Heather, the middle child, would get the Lesser Hive located in the mountains, and David would get the Hive that was along the border of North Dakota and Montana.

"Alright, that's enough," Mike said, cutting into Ali's thoughts, "Heather; say good-night to your mother."

"Ah, why can't I go hunting with you and Timothy?" Heather asked, turning to her mother and pouting.

"Maybe when you're older," Ali replied.

"You can't pull that one on me Mom; Timothy and I are the same age!" Heather said.

"Yeah, but I'm still older!" Timothy said, sticking his tongue out.

"By a few seconds!" Heather snapped back.

Ali smiled at her daughter and then crouched down to her youngest son and said, "Good-night David. You be a good boy, okay?"

"Okay Mommy!" David said with a giggle.

Then Ali turned to Heather, "Good-night dear."

"Yeah, whatever," Heather said, still upset about being left out.

Then, TJ walked up. He placed his head on Ali's shoulder and hissed gently. Ali smiled and said, "Bye TJ, I'll see you in the morning."

Mike took David's hand and gave Ali a kiss on the cheek, "Don't stay out too long, okay?"

"Alright, dear," Ali said and then smiled.

As TJ, Heather, Mike and David returned to the orphanage, Ali turned to Timothy, "Remember, my son, the key to hunting humans is stealth; you must sneak up on your prey before they have a chance to know what is going on,"

"Stealth," Timothy repeated, "Got it!"

And together, mother and son took off toward the city and disappeared into the night.


End file.
